I really need help selecting an Air Rifle for Squirrels.

I have a squirrel problem and need an air rifle for pest control. I have never owned one and don't know the first thing about them. I would like one with a scope, a wood stock and one of the muzzle quieting devices since I have neighbors and would like it as quiet as possible. I have a budget of about $200-$225. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

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TexasPatriot.308

June 26, 2013, 04:40 PM

my $50 Crossman .22 pellett rifle with open sights works very well for me.

MikeJackmin

June 26, 2013, 05:00 PM

Air rifles come in three basic flavors; the kind you pump up, the kind powdered by little C02 cartridges, and the most common kind, where the barrel is used as a lever to cock a spring.

The spring-powered guns tend to be hold-sensitive; this means that the point of aim will shift if the gun is held differently. This can be frustrating if you don't shoot the gun often.

Benjamin (http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Benjamin_392_pump_air_rifle/205) makes a nice pump gun, and there are a variety of choices that use C02. I'd suggest a .22 or even a .25 instead of a .177 for hunting. I have one of the Benjamins with an aftermarket peep site that I am very happy with.

My favorite airgun shop is here:

http://www.pyramydair.com/

rodinal220

June 26, 2013, 05:05 PM

I know its a bit outside your stated budget but you will be buying a better air rifle than some of the cheaper big box store type guns. The RWS 34 is a solid adult air rifle and will last decades and can be rebuilt by a good air gun smith. The .177 with proper pellets will humanely dispatch tree rats. It is grooved for a scope if you wish to add one later,or a set of peep sights from Williams make good improvements over the factory sights.

I'd go with a spring-cocker for that very reason.
In .22 cal pellet size.

They will knock a squirrel out of his shorts at typical back yard ranges.

rc

kBob

June 26, 2013, 06:19 PM

Dispite the nay sayers my FWB124 in 4.5mm .177 took out tree rats around the house with shoulder hits just fine. Hit hits naturally worked best as they do with a .22 LR as well, but shoulder hits produced no run off tree rats.

perhaps the high velocity of the FWB compared to some other air rifles, like the pump jobs makes the difference.

I currently need to rebuild that puppy though as apparently that 1980 pistol seal is shot........still.

-kBob

another pake

June 26, 2013, 06:34 PM

There is an enormous difference between the "big box" pellet guns and an adult air rifle or pistol.

Check out http://www.straightshooters.com to learn more.

another pake

Kernel

June 26, 2013, 06:35 PM

Silencers for air rifles are regulated by the Feds just like any other silencer. $200 tax, some paperwork, a wait, then the cost of the silencer.

Silencers for air rifles are regulated by the Feds just like any other silencer. $200 tax, some paperwork, a wait, then the cost of the silencer.Not exactly.

The silencing devices that come factory-attached to some air guns (like the Gamos) are NOT regulated as NFA Title II devices. If you were to remove one, and create the possibility of using it on a firearm, you'd be in real dangerous ground, but these (http://gamowhisper.com/) don't require any federal paperwork or background checking. In fact, unless you live in REALLY restrictive states, you can click over to Cabela's and have one shipped right to your door.

DAP90

June 26, 2013, 06:56 PM

There’s also some new (to me at least) inert gas technology air guns out there.

I would like one with a scope, a wood stock and one of the muzzle quieting devices since I have neighbors and would like it as quiet as possible. I have a budget of about $200-$225.
It lacks the silencer but otherwise this matches your list for only a few dollars more. IMO most of the noise from a spring-piston air rifle comes from the piston and spring, so the silencer doesn't make it that much quieter.

I have a .22 springer, a Beeman. It's nice, wood stock and pretty, but every bit as loud as a .22LR. I would consider a real .22 and shoot those low noise rounds. Probably get twice the energy out of that round over a pellet gun too.

Kernel

June 26, 2013, 07:40 PM

Sam, thanks for the correction. Silencers are almost standard on adult air guns in England. Their national government WANTS you to use one. No paperwork. Dozens of makes and models to choose from. But none of those silencer designs are imported to the US, far as I know.

Sounds like silencers for air guns is sort of like muzzle breaks on ARs back during the old Assault Rifle Ban. You could have one, but it has to be permanently attached (welded or soldered) to the barrel. Though for air guns it's still a gray area since there's really no federal code written specific to air guns, one way or the other.

A couple of blogs I looked said the Gamo Whisper was not offered for sale in the State of Michigan (OP's home State) due to that State's heartburn with the concept of a silenced anything. Maybe true, maybe not. But I read it on the internet!

rodinal220

June 26, 2013, 07:43 PM

kBob,I agree totally. The FWB 124 is a great vintage air rifle,I love mine and will not sell it,ever. At close range,under 20 yards,a wad cutter pellet is deadly on small game with head shots. I found the Beeman Silver Jet,while good on head shots,would penetrate thru and thru,body shots, and not have the same shock effect. Now we have a lot more pellet choices by far.

The old FWB124 gave up the ghost(30 years) and I too had to rebuild mine, James Maccari parts revived the old springer and its better than ever.

If you already own a .22 rifle,you can save a LOT of loot picking up CCI C.B. caps [ I prefer the 'long' cased ones ].
They are at least as quiet as my Gamo 'supressed' model and have a great deal more hitting power as the bullet is twice the weight.
But if you want or really need a air rifle,the Gamo is pretty silent and HARD hitting.

TOMBECK

June 26, 2013, 09:18 PM

The RWS 34 break gun is great but if a serious problem, going to PCP in .22 cal gives the velocity (rabbit/squirrel and some have used them on groundhogs) and fast follow-up shots with no recoil (scope damage with break guns) and if sleeved, little noise. They are accurate out past 75 yards.

Chasing Crow

June 26, 2013, 09:23 PM

In my opinion, do your homework. If the rifle/ammo selection doesn't generate at least 12 ft lb of energy or more it is not a responsible choice. While a very acurate shot with a lesser combo will dispatch a squirrel, lesser shots aren't in the realm of humane. There are lots of good choices out there. Keep in mind that springers can take some work to find the right hold for consistant accuracy due to spring bounce. Good luck. Airguns open up a whole new world to the shooter!

Liberty1776

June 27, 2013, 12:27 AM

I'm still using my .20 Sheridan Blue Streak. I'm not sure about the quality or how durable it is, 'cause I've only had it for going on 46 years now...

280shooter

June 27, 2013, 01:27 AM

I have a Rws 45. I had since 1980.its not loud,900fps, 177. BSA 4 power scope, air rifle scope, you have to use a air rifle scope, or you,ll break the scope on a spring powered air rifle, some air rifles are realy loud, like a 22.

Roadking Rider

June 27, 2013, 04:01 AM

Gamo Bone Collector Whisper. Very powerful and accurate. It doesn't have a wooden stock but it's right in your price range and IMO is quieter than my old pump action Crossman when using lead pellets. With the scarcity of 22 ammo it a good alternative practice rifle. I've never had any sort of problem with it.

Roadking Rider

June 27, 2013, 04:09 AM

Gamo Bone Collector Whisper. Very powerful and accurate. It doesn't have a wooden stock but it's right in your price range of $200. I actually paid $188and IMO is quieter than my old pump action Crossman when using lead pellets. With the scarcity of 22 ammo it a good alternative practice rifle. I've never had any sort of problem with it.

Jackal1

June 27, 2013, 06:30 AM

If you are worried about the noise level you need to consider the velocity of the pellet. A silencer will help reduce the noise but if your pellet is over the sspeed of sound you'll have a supersonic "crack" noise regardless and it will still sound like a rifle.

Speed of sound decreases with increasing altitude, but at sea level 1200fps =1.07Mach, 1100fps = 0.98Mach, and 1000fps = 0.89Mach. If you shoot a pellet at 1100fps or faster you have high odds of gettting a supersonic crack regardless of suppressor usage or not. 1000fps (0.89 Mach) is in the transonic region right on the edge of going supersonic, but should stay subsonic for most altitudes... I'd haveto go look at my reference tables to doublecheck which altitudes.... 1000fps sounds like a pneumatic nailgun, whereas faster speed pellets sound like a 22lr rifle.

fpgt72

June 27, 2013, 09:16 AM

How far away are the tree rats?

And noise reduction on air rifles ARE NOT regulated by the feds like firearms are.

If you don't shoot it a great deal a springer will cause you frustration. You will have to get use to (in most cases) an "artillery hold" http://www.pyramydair.com/article/The_artillery_hold_June_2009/63

That will give you the best results.

With your stated use I would suggest one of the QB series of air rifles. You will push the pellet at around 800fps and it is very accurate. The rifles are some of the greatest shooting rifles out there, are of great value and build quality....my two bits.

I would also say that air rifles are a little like .22....some like different kinds of pellets...you may have to try a few to see what pellet your rifle likes best.

Gtscotty

June 27, 2013, 01:36 PM

If you're worried about noise, I'd advise sticking with one of the break barrel .22 air rifles over a .177 air rifle that has to fire pellets at super sonic speeds to achieve similar killing power. I went with the Benjamin Titan GP Nitro in .22 for pest elimination around the house. It's about $150, but really needs a new scope to shine, still even with the old scope I've gotten several squirrels with no problem.

lemaymiami

June 27, 2013, 02:07 PM

As a kid (all those years ago, mid sixties) I did considerable damage to the local squirrel and rabbit population with either a Crossman or Benjamin 22 cal air rifle (the pump up single shot variety with standard hour glass shaped lead pellets). Either of those would penetrate both sides of the steel soft drink cans of that period and knock down squirrel or rabbit as far as I could hit them with open sights.... My favorite was the Benjamin. I always thought that they were fairly quiet (much quieter than an ordinary 22 rifle) but that may not be quiet enough for your purposes. I must admit that I never ever heard one of those pellets while it went downrange, and I did hunt with other hooligans my same age. Boy, that was a long time ago. I need to get that old Benjamin back into shape to give to my son (to start my oldest grandson with -he's six years old now..).

lencac

June 27, 2013, 02:18 PM

Poor little squirrels :(

fpgt72

June 27, 2013, 03:54 PM

Air rifles are just fantastic to practice with....and with ammo costs and availability what it is these days.

Over on the air gun forums there is quite the debate on the .177 vs. .22 it can get real frothy at times...but the bottom line both will work with good shot placement, both will fail with the same poor shot placement. Pellet choice makes a large difference here as well.

Personally I really don't think you need to pony up the cash for a magnum rifle or something along the lines of a RWS.

But after you get one you may find yourself in the basement with a box full of duct seal just shooting away for hours on end.

Nathanael_Greene

June 27, 2013, 06:58 PM

"I really need help selecting an Air Rifle for Squirrels."

I'll bet!

It can't be easy to find an air rifle with a tiny little trigger and a stock small enough for them to wrap their little forelegs around...

If you have an AR or other .22cal centerfire, you could make one of these:

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv172/Ar180shooter/c238bb85-da4c-47ee-b54c-1868255d3f5f_zps3b706804.jpg
I drilled out the primer pocket so a 209 shotgun primer could fit in comfortably.
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv172/Ar180shooter/e586f16f-c8cd-4ad9-b8e1-01091ae32e79_zpscbadb2a4.jpg
I used an ice pick to put a small dimple in the neck of the case to better hold the .22 pellet in place.
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv172/Ar180shooter/c74e74b0-3ec5-4e32-a258-7c95773a13aa_zpsb9786ed3.jpg
It all holds together well, and you just drop it in to your regular .223/5.56 rifle.
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv172/Ar180shooter/GOPR0035_zps007307cc.jpg
It's accurate and powerful, going completely through a tin can. I estimate it goes around 900fps, but would need to chronograph the pellet to be sure.
nBm4Xsy1G2g
It's not too loud either, no louder than a high velocity .22 pellet gun. No hearing protection is required.

swampcrawler

June 27, 2013, 08:50 PM

I'll recommend Benjamin as well. As a kid I killed countless po little squirrels with a 177 cal benjamin. My step brother used the 22 cal. (the old school pump up ones) never got it to cooperate with a scope though.

rcmodel

June 27, 2013, 08:50 PM

A 209 shotgun primer is not required.

I shot a ton of barn pigeons years ago with a 22-250 using LR primers and .22 air rifle pellets.

It knocks their socks off!!

rc

Ar180shooter

June 27, 2013, 08:57 PM

A 209 shotgun primer is not required.

I shot a ton of barn pigeons years ago with a 22-250 using LR primers and .22 air rifle pellets.

It knocks their socks off!!

rc
There's more than one way to skin a cat. :)

Peter M. Eick

June 27, 2013, 09:08 PM

http://eickpm.com/picts/beeman400.jpg

http://eickpm.com/picts/400_factory_target.jpg

Get yourself a real air rifle. There are many varieties of precision target rifles like my Beeman 400 or its sister the Dianawerk 75 or (hiss!) the Feinwerkbau 300s. These are are totally recoilless, essentially silent (my 400 just make a "thunk" like snapping your fingers) and absolutely flawlessly accurate. They are side cockers and essentially no longer competitive in the ISU shooting so they can be picked up cheap used.

The target above is 10 shots at 10m.

By the way, my trigger is about 1.1 ounces. Yes, ounces. They are 2 stage target triggers so you pull it back the first stage once you are on target and then just think about it and the rifle fires.

Once you thin the pest population down, you can work on your rifle skills. If you miss, you know it was you and not the rifle.

kBob

June 28, 2013, 10:09 AM

AR 180 Shooter,

What size drill bit did you used to make the new primer pocket with?

How many shots have you gotten from a case so modified?

Does the 209 primer swell up and make removal difficult?

Do different pellets work better than others?

Is there any lead build up in your 180 or other rifles when using this?

in case you can not tell you have my attention......

-kBob

thomis

June 28, 2013, 04:12 PM

I've been into airguns for years. You're getting some good advice here. Unless you have a lot of time to dedicate to the spring piston type airguns, I'd steer clear of those. They can be frustrating to learn to shoot.

Crosman used to make a wood stocked co2 gun in both .177 and .22 cal (the model 1760 and 2260). They recently discontinued them, I don't know why. I bet you can find one used in good shape on one of the airgun forums classifieds section. Like here (http://www.network54.com/Forum/278474/).

And then, to eek out more power and accuracy, send it to Mac1 (http://www.mac1airgunshop.com/Default.asp) in California. He'll "tune" it to increase accuracy (muzzle job, trigger job, etc) and put better seals and parts to increase power. I bought mine new about 5 years ago for about $110 and sent it to Mac1. For another $125 I have a .177 caliber co2 rifle that's plenty powerful for squirrels and shoots as accurate as a .22 rimfire. It shoots a typical 7.9 grain pellet at about 730 fps. And it really is quiet. I'll take a pic of it this evening if you're interested.

I shot a ton of barn pigeons years ago with a 22-250 using LR primers and .22 air rifle pellets.

It knocks their socks off!!
Same here, except with a .22 Hornet.

rondog

June 28, 2013, 05:37 PM

I've had problems with squirrels tearing up my bird feeders for years. I bought a cheap Daisy 880 Powerline at WalMart for ~$30, and it kills the hell out of squirrels. It's a little noisy, but I found that if I shot from inside the house through an open door or window, that deadens the noise quite well.

BUT, after I'd offed a substantial number of them, I found out that not only is it illegal as hell to fire a pellet rifle in town, but here in CO squirrels are small game animals, requiring a small game hunting license, there's an established hunting season for them, and a daily bag limit as well. So I was essentially poaching the little rats out of season and doing it inside the city limits, not to mention inside a residential neighborhood, and the stress of hoping to God some citizen walking their dog didn't see one flopping around in my front yard. Made me nervous.

So, you may want to consider any possible legal ramifications to killing squirrels in your yard, it may not be cool to do so. Once the light came on it my head, I haven't done it since, just ain't worth the risk and stress to me. I started harassing them with a Super Soaker, which got their attention, and finally just moved the feeders where they can't get to them from the tree, and that seems to have solved the problem.

I've also considered checking out a high-quality airsoft rifle, something that would sting the living snot out of them and leave a nasty bruise or welt, but not actually kill them. They're not stupid, and are highly danger-sensitive. Make their visits painful, dangerous and unpleasant, and they'll go elsewhere. I've wondered too about finding or making something non-lethal in .177 caliber to put in my Daisy, like rubber pellets. Haven't found anything.

But if you're in an area where you can pop them without fear, a cheap Daisy 880 Powerline works fine! Don't bother with the crappy scope though, either get a decent one or just use the irons.

Certaindeaf

June 28, 2013, 05:52 PM

Those FWB-124 boys just make me sick. Especially with the aperture sight.

lykoris

June 28, 2013, 06:52 PM

put a zero on your budget, get a daystate airwolf and be done with it:D

thomis

June 28, 2013, 08:09 PM

Below is the custom/ modified Crosman co2 rifle I was talking about. A cheap Bushnell scope on it makes it extremely lethal on squirrels (notice there are no irons). My bird feeder is 50 feet from the kitchen window and its no contest. A little more challenging is when the squirrels get into my apple orchard about 200 feet from the patio. Then I have about a 6" holdover with the Beeman Kodiak extra heavy (http://www.pyramydair.com/s/p/Beeman_Kodiak_Extra_Heavy_177_Cal_10_65_Grains_Domed_300ct/296;jsessionid=D24E7042126A47F6869A922E04DDEFCA.app03) pellets. But when they hit, they hit pretty darn hard, even at that range.

The air rifle is pictured with a Marlin Model 60 .22 rimfire for scale:

RWS 34 or 48 Diana from Airguns of Arizona. Check them out online. Fast, easy to deal with, superb service.
I cleaned up all the squirrels who were eating expensive chicken & turkey feed. I then moved on to the other squirrels who were raiding our fruit trees.
Gamo is in my experience cheap trash from chain store discount retailers. Bought one, it never shot well, trigger was lousy. Ended up cutting it in half with chop saw before it went in the garbage can. I should have bought the RWS the first time.

Chasing Crow

June 28, 2013, 09:34 PM

What Rondog says!!!
Also, I believe silencers on airguns follow same laws as conventional firearms. If it's part of the firearm as manufactured ok, but add-ons illegal. Might check it out first.

Sam1911

June 28, 2013, 10:10 PM

Also, I believe silencers on airguns follow same laws as conventional firearms. If it's part of the firearm as manufactured ok, but add-ons illegal. Might check it out first.Conventional firearms that are integrally silenced still have to be registered as NFA Title II firearms. Airguns with silencers do not.

Silencers intended to be bolt-on accessories for firearms have to be registered themselves as NFA Title II "firearms".

I don't know of anyone making add-on silencers for air rifles, but they would almost certainly be illegal if unregistered, as they would be functionally the same as a silencer (or close enough) for any .17 or .22 cal. rifle.

Ar180shooter

June 28, 2013, 10:47 PM

AR 180 Shooter,

What size drill bit did you used to make the new primer pocket with?

How many shots have you gotten from a case so modified?

Does the 209 primer swell up and make removal difficult?

Do different pellets work better than others?

Is there any lead build up in your 180 or other rifles when using this?

in case you can not tell you have my attention......

-kBob

Unfortunately I forget what size drill bit I used. I modified the case itself about a year ago, never got around to testing it and forgot about it until I found it again a few days ago and decided to try it. When I made it, it was really a trial and error process.

I've shot 50 pellets from the case so far.

Removal is not difficult. The primer sits in it quite loosely, and will fall out if turned primer side down.

I've only tried the cheap Crossman pellets, and haven't done any accuracy testing other than shooting cans at 30 yards (I have to dial the scope to 600 yards to get POA/POI, the video is me shooting at 15 yards).

I've only tried it in the one rifle.

After shooting the 50 rounds, I have not noticed significant leading. The shotgun primers do dirty up the bore though. The one concern I do have is lead possibly plugging the gas tap to the piston, but given that the pellet is not going very fast and is not heating things up at all (I'm not sure how fast it's going, but it is definitely sub-sonic), this is a very minor concern.

Jackal1

June 29, 2013, 01:54 PM

I found out that not only is it illegal as hell to fire a pellet rifle in town, but here in CO squirrels are small game animals, requiring a small game hunting license, there's an established hunting season for them, and a daily bag limit as well. So I was essentially poaching the little rats out of season and doing it inside the city limits, not to mention inside a residential neighborhood, and the stress of hoping to God some citizen walking their dog didn't see one flopping around in my front yard. Made me nervous.

Might want to take a closer look at your laws.... In most states it is legal to eradicate pests on your property that are causing damage on your property. No permits or licenses required. If you are legal to shoot a pellet gun on your property and your state allows you to get rid of pests on your property; then you can generally use a pellet gun to eradicate the pests on your property. Now, if it is illegal to shoot a pellet gun on your property then you would need to find a different way to eradicate the pests than using a pellet gun.

rondog

June 29, 2013, 02:30 PM

Quote:
I found out that not only is it illegal as hell to fire a pellet rifle in town, but here in CO squirrels are small game animals, requiring a small game hunting license, there's an established hunting season for them, and a daily bag limit as well. So I was essentially poaching the little rats out of season and doing it inside the city limits, not to mention inside a residential neighborhood, and the stress of hoping to God some citizen walking their dog didn't see one flopping around in my front yard. Made me nervous.

Might want to take a closer look at your laws.... In most states it is legal to eradicate pests on your property that are causing damage on your property. No permits or licenses required. If you are legal to shoot a pellet gun on your property and your state allows you to get rid of pests on your property; then you can generally use a pellet gun to eradicate the pests on your property. Now, if it is illegal to shoot a pellet gun on your property then you would need to find a different way to eradicate the pests than using a pellet gun.

I live in a densely populated whitebread residential neighborhood. Pellet guns and killing squirrels be frowned upon, and it's not worth the risk of drawing attention to myself to go around asking questions about it. I'd rather stay out of the spotlight. As long as the little jerks stay off my bird feeders I have no problem with them. They're welcome to eat whatever hits the ground. It's when they actually get on the feeders and chew them apart that conflict arises.

Certaindeaf

June 29, 2013, 02:44 PM

If you can't or don't want to shoot them, here's a killing machine.. won't kill birds.

I spent weeks researching and finally decided on a Beeman R-9 Goldfinger, in Twenty Caliber(.20).

It is a squirrel harvesting machine. Very quiet. I routinely zero at range...50 meters.

For city/town squirrel work, you do not want a lot of velocity due to sound barrier (loud crack) issues.

I could not recommend this rifle for squirrel extermination more strongly.

Good luck.

Jcinnb

June 29, 2013, 10:15 PM

Oh yeah, I live in a hysterical.....erhhhh....historical district. Stealth eradication is part of the fun.

Until I got rid of them, I used a newspaper on a frame, kind of a blind. I would the shoot them across the street in a small park while sitting on our front porch. Worked quite well.

fpgt72

July 1, 2013, 08:16 PM

Below is the custom/ modified Crosman co2 rifle I was talking about. A cheap Bushnell scope on it makes it extremely lethal on squirrels (notice there are no irons). My bird feeder is 50 feet from the kitchen window and its no contest. A little more challenging is when the squirrels get into my apple orchard about 200 feet from the patio. Then I have about a 6" holdover with the Beeman Kodiak extra heavy (http://www.pyramydair.com/s/p/Beeman_Kodiak_Extra_Heavy_177_Cal_10_65_Grains_Domed_300ct/296;jsessionid=D24E7042126A47F6869A922E04DDEFCA.app03) pellets. But when they hit, they hit pretty darn hard, even at that range.

The air rifle is pictured with a Marlin Model 60 .22 rimfire for scale:

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb255/jtleamer/DSC_0120_resize_zps16a473fd.jpg (http://s211.photobucket.com/user/jtleamer/media/DSC_0120_resize_zps16a473fd.jpg.html)
That Crossman rifle was bought out by a Chinese company and is now called the QB series of rifles....check out archer airguns or look on youtube for qb rifle reviews....they are some very fine rifles...

Oh yeah, I live in a hysterical.....erhhhh....historical district. Stealth eradication is part of the fun.

Until I got rid of them, I used a newspaper on a frame, kind of a blind. I would the shoot them across the street in a small park while sitting on our front porch. Worked quite well.

Wow, you're a braver man than I! Across the street in a park? That's GOT to be some kind of violation! How did you retrieve the bodies without being seen? I had enough stress just popping them in my front yard, 10 feet from my kitchen window. But in a park across the street? "Look mommy, that squirrel's break dancing all over place! Oh, he must be tired, now he's sleeping....."

Those 1760 and 2260 Crosmans are great CO2 rifles. I have a plain jane 2260 and while it is not quite as powerful as my Benjamin .22 Nitro Piston "springer", the 2260 is vastly easier to shoot consistently from any shooting position. The Benjamin has to be held exactly the same from the exact same stance for consistent hits to the same "zero".

fpgt72

July 3, 2013, 09:22 AM

Those 1760 and 2260 Crosmans are great CO2 rifles. I have a plain jane 2260 and while it is not quite as powerful as my Benjamin .22 Nitro Piston "springer", the 2260 is vastly easier to shoot consistently from any shooting position. The Benjamin has to be held exactly the same from the exact same stance for consistent hits to the same "zero".
Yea...like I was preaching about....those rifles are fantastic....and if you have seal problems or anything with your vintage crosman, everything from the QB will fit it. Pretty good life out of a pair of powerlets as well...you get about 70 shots before it starts to really fall off.

I know I sound like a fan boy but they are fantastic air rifles.

Pilot

July 3, 2013, 09:30 AM

RWS 34 or 48 Diana from Airguns of Arizona. Check them out online. Fast, easy to deal with, superb service.
I cleaned up all the squirrels who were eating expensive chicken & turkey feed. I then moved on to the other squirrels who were raiding our fruit trees.
Gamo is in my experience cheap trash from chain store discount retailers. Bought one, it never shot well, trigger was lousy. Ended up cutting it in half with chop saw before it went in the garbage can. I should have bought the RWS the first time.
^^^^^This. The RWS 48 is worth the money. It is a side cocker, spring piston rifle. Accurate, and well made in Germany.

aubie515

July 3, 2013, 11:03 AM

I was using my 22LR with suppressor for squirrels...I ended up using those "have a hart" traps...I'd trap the squirrels with peanut butter and crackers...bring them into my basement and take them out with pellet rifle.

Just make sure your township allows discharging of firearms if they don't you could have some issues with the man.

fpgt72

July 3, 2013, 03:38 PM

I was using my 22LR with suppressor for squirrels...I ended up using those "have a hart" traps...I'd trap the squirrels with peanut butter and crackers...bring them into my basement and take them out with pellet rifle.

Just make sure your township allows discharging of firearms if they don't you could have some issues with the man.
Ahh...seems a little....I don't know...not too cool.

Hanzo581

July 3, 2013, 04:07 PM

Just out of curiosity, what exactly are these squirrels doing that requires them to be eradicated?

zoom6zoom

July 3, 2013, 05:14 PM

I have had great success with both a .177 Gamo Whisper, and a .22 Stoeger X-20S. Both have the integral suppression and are nice and quiet. Had a severe problem with tree rats damaging the house and property chewing through the roof and other things. Not so much now.

CB caps and pellet adapters were mentioned earlier. Both can be effective, but both would also still be considered, "discharging a firearm", which is not legal inside many town limits, or within certain distance of a habitation, etc. Nowhere near as many places that prohibit shooting a pellet gun.

I have never seen .20 pellets anywhere. All I have seen are the .177 and .22.
ll

Chasing Crow

July 3, 2013, 09:56 PM

Pyramid Air has every make and caliber of pellet you can think of. I get 20 cal there.

Mohave-Tec

July 5, 2013, 02:53 AM

The break barrel rifles sound like a center fire cartridge. I bought one to NOT ;) shoot the lovely pigeons on my porch but put one round down range and thought the swat team would be along any minute. It is for sale. Slightly used with 1 pellet down range. 1 pellet.

Deus Machina

July 5, 2013, 05:16 AM

For what it's worth, I can't speak highly enough of the Benjamin rifles, either pump or Co2 powered.

Wonderful valve system gave birth to my nostalgic-love-era of paintball markers, and I personally have a Benjamin (Blue Streak, maybe?) .22 in the middle of a rebuild that my uncle got as a child, used. He's nearing 70 now. And flat-point pellets will still knock cans around 25 yards downrange without trying--and it's missing the rear sight.

wally

July 5, 2013, 09:30 AM

So, you may want to consider any possible legal ramifications to killing squirrels in your yard,

Definitely. My two adjacent neighbors have "semi-feral" outdoor cats that do a great job at keeping the squirrels at bay, as well as mice and rats. Although my wife gets PO'd when they kill a bird or a gekko.

zdc1775

July 5, 2013, 10:55 AM

The break barrel rifles sound like a center fire cartridge. I bought one to NOT ;) shoot the lovely pigeons on my porch but put one round down range and thought the swat team would be along any minute. It is for sale. Slightly used with 1 pellet down range. 1 pellet.
Ah...dieseling. I thought the same thing when I shot my Benji Nitro Piston the first time.

Shoot about 50-60 more pellets through it and you won't have that problem anymore.

ETA: BTW what caliber is it. I might have some heavy weight pellets that will speed up the process that I could send you.

Jcinnb

July 5, 2013, 02:11 PM

A couple of responses.

First to retrieve dead squirrels in public area...make a big production of it. Let them sit awhile then walk over, look around, prod the body with your foot and then make a big deal of putting on a glove. Pick up squirrel, carry at arms length and throw in bushes. You have just done a public service...removing a dead squirrel from the park.

What did squirrel do to you; destroyed my pecans

NEver seen 20 cal pellets: the INTERNET is yor friend. I normally shoot Beeman black Crows or something like that.

Its all good, unless you are a squirrel. ..- a rat with a good publicist!

zdc1775

July 5, 2013, 02:15 PM

Its all good, unless you are a squirrel. ..- a rat with a good publicist!

I agree, and chipmunks too. I had squirrels in the attic when I first bought my house and the in-laws had chipmunks do about $5,000 worth of damage to their house.

butwhat

July 5, 2013, 08:53 PM

I am wanting to buy a good pellet gun, air rifle?

.22's seem to be almost impossible to buy right now.

I have a bunch of .177 pellets.

Any recommendations would be appreciated

I clicked on the Gamo Hunter but didn't see one actually for sale.

Thanks

Jcinnb

July 5, 2013, 09:09 PM

There is another thread that is active right now that might give you some ideas. First question is how much do you want to spend?

tallpaul

July 6, 2013, 10:10 AM

also depending on the pelletts ya have and what you mean by a "bunch"

if they are cheap pellets a cheaper gun is warranted. If too cheaply made or cheap quality I would not recommend a quality pellet gun, otherwise I recommend the best you can get and decent and quality pellets.

Sam1911

July 6, 2013, 10:21 AM

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